LiPPS play Masks!
by achus93
Summary: It was a slow day over at 346 Production, with the girls of LiPPS in particular enjoying some free time in their schedule. Doing homework, reading fashion mags. Just the usual things. And all it took was Shiki bringing a pen and paper RPG rulebook. Follow the girls of LiPPS as their Producer brings them along on a superhero journey they would have never experienced before.
1. Introduction

_Idolmaster Cinderella Girls_ and any and all existing characters belong to **Bandai Namco Studios**

_Masks - A New Generation_ and its contents belong to **Magpie Games**

* * *

_**Introduction**_

The early afternoon sun peered through the windows of the high rise building, sending a brief warm to the otherwise air conditioned room of a specific idol unit and the producer that served as their handler. A calm and somewhat silent air that permeated the room. The two of them that were still in high school; one who had dyed her hair pink while the other had a blue tint to hers, sat to the side of the room, helping one another with their homework. Two other members of the unit sat beside one another on the black sofa, the decidedly blonde with the still pale skinned girl who dyed her own hair white. The blonde one in particular was holding the magazine for her friend.

"Ne, ne, what do you think, Syuko-chan. Doesn't this look cute?" The French-Japanese girl asked, pointing to the spread in the magazine.

"Hm." The white haired girl gave the question some thought, her hand held to her chin as her eyes scrutinized the page. "I mean, it's cute. But I think you look better in something else."

"Really?" Frederica's eyes widened in disbelief. "Shiki-chan said the same thing. Am I losing my touch? I thought this was cute."

"It is. But it doesn't scream _Fre-chan_, Fre-chan." Syuko said with a light smirk.

"And what _is _Fre-chan?" the blonde asked to herself, her face scrunching up in exaggerated thought. "I need to ask other people about this!"

"Yeah, yeah, you do that, Fre-chan." Syuko said, leaning into the sofa as the blonde stood up.

Suddenly, the door to their office shot open, revealing the last member of their unit. Hand held out after she had slammed the door open, with an excited look on her face. "Let's play a game!" she announced to her friends.

Frederica's own thoughts seemed to halt as the blonde turned to her closest friend, while Syuko simply raised an intrigued brow at the brunette's antics, whatever they may be. At this, even the two that were busy with their homework, Kanade and Mika, turned in their seat to see what their resident mad scientist was up to.

"What kind of game, Shiki-chan?" it was Mika who asked, a light smile on both her and Kanade's face.

"An RPG!" she proclaimed, taking a few steps into the office.

"Eh? I don't really like RPGs." Syuko replied with a small frown. "Can't we play something else, like a kart game or something?"

The brunette shook her head exaggeratedly. "No, no! Not a video game. An actual RPG!" she said aloud, showing them what she held in her other hand.

The cover had what looked like a ruined city, with a bunch of youngish looking characters, probably around their age, standing and sitting around or on top of some kind of giant robot. And the name written in English, taking up a good third of the cover, made to draw in one's attention onto it.

"_Masks?_" Kanade asked, reading the cover with furrowed brows and a slight curiosity.

"Yeah, it's an RPG. You know, like _Dungeons & Dragons_. You girls heard of it?" Shiki asked as she now stood in what amounted to the office's _living room_.

Both high schoolers and Syuko shook their heads, but the resident blonde slammed a fist into her palm. "Oh, yeah! I think I saw my relatives play them when we visited when I was still small."

"Huh, I thought you've never been to France, Fre-chan?" Mika asked with confusion.

"I've been there like twice!" she proclaimed proudly.

"What's this game supposed to be?" Kanade asked the brunette, still standing before them.

Shiki held the book with both her hands. "We get to be superheroes!"

"Oh, that sounds fun. How do you play?" Syuko asked in turn, leaning closer to Shiki.

"It's an RPG. So we can pretty much do anything!" Shiki _explained_, a foot stepping onto the coffee table. "We need a GM first!"

"GM?"

"Like a radio DJ, or a host to move our game along." Shiki said to her white haired friend. By this point, Frederica had sat back down, and both Mika and Kanade were fully facing the brunette from where they sat.

"Why don't you do it, Shiki?" asked Kanade, gesturing to the older girl.

"But I want to play too!" Shiki cried out, finally sitting down herself. "Do you think we can get the Producer into this?"

"What are you roping me in to?" All five heads turned to the man that had walked in, closing the door that was left open by Shiki. He was a little on the heavy side, though his tailored suit showed him in his best. His sun-kissed face was both foreign and familiar. He was not Japanese, that much was obvious, yet there was enough to show off his Asian heritage. His hair was cut extremely short, giving him a uniform and professional look.

"Producer!" Shiki bounded off the recliner, almost tackling the producer as she appeared right before him. "Have you ever played D&D?"

The producer have the brunette a furrowed look of confusion. "Yeah, a couple of times. Why?"

"As a GM?"

"Sometimes. What's up? You girls thinking of playing?" he asked the room, though he expected the answer from Shiki.

Shiki shook her head. "Not that, but this!" she held the book right in front of her, showing the cover to the man. "Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah, when it was still being crowdfunded. Didn't know it was released already." He told her. "You want someone to GM you girls?"

"Yeah, I want to play to! It'll be so much fun! Please? Please please please!" The brunette begged to the producer.

"I've never seen Shiki-chan like this." Mika commented, nudging Kanade with her elbow.

"I'm actually kind of interested now." She said back with a light giggle.

The producer kept his eyes on Shiki for an extended second, before he glance to the rest of the unit. "You girls also wanna play?"

"For sure! It sounds super fun!" Frederica answered, shifting in her seat.

Syuko nodded beside. "Yeah, I guess there's no harm in trying."

The two high schoolers also nodded, their own interests now lining up with the instigator. The producer sighed, but he took the offered book from Shiki. "Not today. I still have work. _We_ still have work."

The brunette looked up with a bright smile on her face. "So tomorrow?!"

"Make sure your schedules are clear. We don't have any planned events for you girls at the moment, so just as long as you don't have any classes or lessons, or other plans. An RP session takes a couple of hours." He said to the room, before focusing on Shiki again. "I'm taking the book, so I can also learn. You explain to the rest about whatever they need to know about this."

"Yes, Producer!" Shiki replied with a salute.

The Producer nodded back, before he made his way towards his office, leaving the five girls alone in the room. Kanade and Mika joined the other two on the living space, looking expectantly at Shiki. "So, Shiki, what do we need to know?" questioned Kanade.

"Hm hm. Don't worry, the magnanimous, illustrious Shiki-chan will explain it all!" Shiki proclaimed, turning to face them in a flourish. Frederica slapped her thighs like a drum beat, supporting her friend.

Mika shook her head, bracing for the escalating antics that she was used to. "Oh boy."

* * *

**AUTHOR'****S**** NOTE**

i've been holding onto this idea since i started getting into pen & paper RPGs (which was quite a few years ago by now), the idea of LiPPS just getting into some roleplay. the first iteration of this idea was just them playing some D&D. but considering how much work for one person to simulate an entire D&D encounter (and i do/did plan to actually make the dice rolls), i've always pushed it back.

then a couple of days ago i found Masks. a simple RPG system with an interesting premise. and after reading trough the core rule book, the idea shifted from them playing D&D to Masks. i've already got the characters lined up for them, so we'll be seeing them soon.

anyways, thanks for dropping by, and i hope i see you all next time!


	2. Preparation

**_Preparation_**

It would actually be not for another three days until they got to their first session. Though they were still young, and just at the cusp of adulthood, the girls were busy idols with prior obligations that they had to fulfill. Dance and Vocal lessons taking up their schedules; an impromptu fan meetup hosted by their senior idols at a nearby mall; their own personal lives that they had to juggle. And all throughout this, Shiki would further explain to them the nuances of the world and system they'd be playing. There were hiccups because the book itself was in English, especially with Syuko who was the least fluent in the language, but the brunette was patient. In an odd and roundabout way. So in time, the girls had a good idea of what the game was like.

Their producer was also busy during this shared time. Either he was in his office, completing paperwork after paperwork that was sent his way to be sent to someone, somewhere else in the agency. Or he would be with the idols, as any self-respecting producer would be, to support his idols and making sure that the event they were pulled into would go off without a hitch along with the other producers. And he also used some of his own personal time to comb through the book itself (along with a couple of other books, supplements that Shiki gave to him with a wide smile on her face.) But he was also a meticulous professional. He didn't want to be caught flatfooted just in case something they'd be doing would go against the grain. So he did the only sensible thing he could do.

"You wish to hold a bonding experience?" the stoic, middle aged woman asked from where she sat, her eyes scrutinizing his form.

"Yes, Director Mishiro. The girls of LiPPS had planned on doing something together, and they asked me to facilitate their needs." He replied evenly to the head of 346 Production's Idol Division.

"This sounds like something they can do in their own personal time, Zulkar-san." She told him, tapping her pen on her desk.

"If it was just them, I would agree, Ma'am. But they asked for my help." He responded back. "I would not like some malicious rumors and gossip to spread if they were to be seen with an older gentleman. At least, if it was within working hours, it can be seen as a group event, a sanctioned bonding experience for them."

Her gaze was kept on him, before her eyes closed as she contemplated the request. The tapping of her pen seemed to grow louder with every second she spent in silence. "I would have just rejected this request before." She finally said, her eyes opening, though they did not have the same glare as they did before. "But I will acquiesce. How long will this take?"

"A single session would take a couple of hours. How many sessions planned, remains to be seen. It would depend on their collective interest." He answered.

"Very well." She nodded, turning to the woman that had been standing silently beside her desk. "Senkawa-san, I want someone along with them."

"Yes, Director Mishiro." The assistant bowed, before standing straight and smiling at the producer.

"Thank you, Director Mishiro." The producer said as he too bowed.

"I want a report on this as well, Zulkar-san."

"It will be done, Ma'am."

He left the Director's office with a relieved sigh, even though he had inadvertently made more work for himself. When one has the permission of the Director, things tend to go over smoothly. There might be bumps in the road, but at least the hardest hurdle had passed. He glanced to his side, seeing Chihiro walking beside him, carrying a number of filed documents, distinct numbers on each of them for each unit and producer.

"You're sending some of your people over?" he asked her casually.

She giggled. "They're not my people. But yes." She held her phone out, waving it a bit before pocketing it back. "Someone is heading to your office right now."

"Wow, I'm special enough to get my own assistant?" he asked lightheartedly.

"You were long overdue of one, Zulkar-san. Producers in charge of idol units have assistants assigned to them, but because there hadn't been any lives or events for LiPPS, it wasn't a priority."

"Kind of figured as much." He said with a sigh. "Well, see you later, Senkawa-san."

"You too, Zulkar-san." The both of them went on their separate ways, with her taking the elevator while he walked down the stairs. Their office wasn't that far down from where he was at.

He reached his office floor, there was already a woman standing there. She looked younger than him, probably as old as the older idols the agency had. Mid-twenties if he had to guess. She wore an almost entirely blue ensemble compared to Chihiro's green, making the cream colored blouse stand out. Her hair was long, reaching to her waist and tied off with a ribbon near the end. She wore thick-rimmed glasses on her youthful face. Her skin was pale, eerily so, even more than Syuko's (and she was like that because of her supposed "_hobbies"_). At first glance, it seemed like she was keeping a professional air around her. But he noticed the way she was clenching a fist beneath a hand. And the way she was biting her lip.

"Are you the one Senkawa-san sent?" he asked as he approached the office.

It seemed that she hadn't notice his approach, as her body flinched in surprise. She turned to him, eyeing him briefly before bowing. "Yes. I am Minamoto Ushi." She straightened back up with a professional smile. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Producer."

"Likewise." He replied with a nod. "Do you have any idea why you're assigned to me?"

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "You mean, aside for LiPPS?"

"Yes. I'll explain in a moment." He said as he opened the door, entering with the assistant behind him.

"You're late, Producer!" called out the unit's brunette, sitting on the double sofa as she waved him over.

"I'm actually just in time." He said back with a smirk, before turning back to the assistant. "Why don't you introduce yourself, Minamoto-san?"

He didn't wait for an answer, as he made his way inside his office. Stashed to the side of his own desk was his laptop, the books, and a few other things he had prepared. He grabbed them, briefly skimming over them to make sure he had everything needed, before nodding to himself and heading back out. By now, the rest of the unit were sitting in the sofas, their attention still on the assistant who had just introduced herself.

"Is Minamoto-san going to help out with this as well, Producer?" Syuko asked, her arms spread on the back of the sofa.

He shook his head. "No, but she'll help me out when I need to write a report on this." He held out a camera to her.

"You want me to take pictures?" Ushi asked as she held the camera unsurely.

"At your discretion." The producer replied as he sat himself down on the single sofa. He glanced at each one of them, seeing them staring at him with anticipation. Shiki and Frederica taking the two seat sofa, while Syuko, Kanade and Mika took the four seat sofa, along with Ushi as she sat down herself. He turned back to Shiki. "You explained everything to them?"

"Not everything. Just the parts we needed, while you covered the rest Producer." Shiki answered.

"So you all know what the _playbooks_ are then?" they all nodded. "Good. Do you have any idea what you girls want to be?"

"What is the city like, Producer?" Frederica asked, cutting anyone else from answering.

"Yeah, I'm sure comic books are like manga. There are different genres. And I've seen the movies. Batman isn't anything like Iron Man. What's ours like?" Syuko asked along.

"Depends entirely on you girls." He said to them. "I've had experience with a number of genres. I've been part of low fantasy settings, and high scale fantasy battles. Cyberpunk noir, and high stakes action. I can accommodate to what you girls want."

"I don't want it to be realistic." Mika spoke up, leaning back into the sofa as she crossed her arms. "It's a fantasy, right? I want it to be fun."

"But I think there being some realism would help, at least for us to relate to our characters." Kanade countered, turning to face Mika.

"What did you think _Halcyon City_ is like, Producer?" Shiki asked, echoing Frederica's question and drawing the rest of the girls' attention back onto him.

"You girls want to be in _Halcyon City_?" he responded.

Shiki's brows furrowed in confusion. "We can be somewhere else?"

He shrugged. "It's our game. We don't have to follow the rules to the nail. At the very least, I would have changed the name. _Halcyon City_ sounds too American, and I'd like it to be more international."

The five girls nodded in understanding, before Shiki spoke up again. "So what's the city like then, Producer?"

At the question that was turned to him, the producer closed his eyes in thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I pictured, _Jupiter City_ to be its own city-state. Not just a simple city. It's great, magnificent. Independent from any governing nation but its own. But behind that glamour, that gleem, there's a bleakness to it." He opened his eyes again, meeting the girls one by one. "The people don't like it, because they also try to live up to how the rest of the world views _Jupiter City_. And they feel that this filth unknown to the rest of the world means that they're not living up to that expectation. They all try to put up a front. A proud façade and a smile on their face. But deep inside most of the citizens, lies a cynical outlook that clashes with the brightness of the city."

The girls took in his brief intro of the city with regard. This was how their city was going to be. How their heroes are going to be. How their people were going to be. They took it in, some thinking about it harder than others.

"How about, we as a group are always all smiles, and that is why everyone else don't take us seriously?" Frederica suggested. "How we're also trying to lighten up the city with our escapades."

"That way we can have both." Kanade said with a nod. "I like that."

"Me too. That way, it'll be special." Mika added with a smile.

"Okay, we'll go with that." The producer nodded again, before returning to his question. "Do you girls know what you want to be? Remember, there can't be more than one playbook in each group."

"Hai hai!" Shiki raised her hand up like an enthusiastic grade schooler. "I wanna be _The Brain_!"

The producer's eyes squinted on her. "Is that why you gave me those books?"

"Hehe, you betcha!" a knowing smirk was plastered on her face before it devolved into an amused cackle.

"Well, you know what you're doing, so I'll help the others." She nodded back as he glanced to the blonde beside her.

"What's _The Transformed_ like?" Frederica asked, her head tilted slightly in a cutesy fashion.

"It's like the Hulk, or Cyborg from Justice League." He told her. "It can be natural, or artificial. The important thing is you're kind of a freak."

"Can I be a _cute_ freak?" she asked with a smile.

"We can make that work." He answered.

"Yay!" Both her hands were raised in excitement as the producer moved on to the next.

"How about you Mika?" the pink haired gyaru was tapping the pencil she was holding in her teeth.

"What's _The Janus_ supposed to be like?" she asked, pulling up one of the playbooks off the table. "Is it like Spiderman?"

"Depends on what you think Spiderman is." He answered back to her. "_The Janus_ is all about living a double life that's both separate from each other. Kinda like you girls as idols."

"I guess I'll go with that." Mika said with a simple nod.

"I want to be _The Outsider_." Kanade spoke up, though with an uncertain look on her face. "But I don't want to be an alien."

"Then what do you want to be?" he asked, leaning closer with an elbow on his knee.

"I don't know. Something like a fantasy character." She explained.

"We can work with that."

"But how? It says here that _The Outsider_ can fly, and is tough." She pointed out.

He shrugged. "We can say its magic."

"I guess." she ended it there, as she worked out what she wanted to do in her head.

That left the white haired girl who was patiently waiting for her turn. "Syuko?"

"I want to try out this." She said, holding up _The Protégé_ playbook.

"Alright, there's nothing wrong with that." The producer said with a nod, before clapping his hand just as the flash of a camera startled him. He glanced to Syuko's left, as Ushi had snapped a picture of them, before turning back to Syuko.

"Alright girls, we'll start with creating your heroes, then we'll get into the messy bits."

The five members of LiPPS smiled in anticipation, with varying levels of eagerness with their producer pulling them into the world they had never broached before.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

the assistant's looks and name are partially based off of FGO's Minamoto-no-Raikou. hence her name being Minamoto Ushi (with Ushi being Ushi Gozen, which is FGO Raikou's original name.) her looks are also kinda what you'd expect a younger Raikou would look like, though she wouldn't have Raikou's Raikous (not that i have a problem with them). she's just above being flat chested, being an opposite to her namesake.

also, i didn't want to use Chihiro, 'cause based off of the anime i think she'd be too important to be tied to a producer with a single idol unit. also, the idea of her being an assistant to many producers is just stupid to me.

anyway, thanks for the read, and i'll see you all next time!


	3. How It All Started

_**How It All Started**_

"Well, I think that about does it." The producer said with an accomplished sigh. Close to an hour they worked together (mostly each girl with the producer personally), crafting their heroes to what their hearts desired. It took a bit of creative liberties in interpreting their play book's instructions to fit their needs, but they got the job done. He gave one final glance around the girls, some of them looking a bit tired, but they all had satisfied smiles on their faces. The assistant, Ushi, also had a small smile on her face, still holding the camera that was handed to her.

"So who wants to introduce themselves first?" he asked them. "Shiki, want to starts us off?"

"Hai, yes sir!" she answered with a salute, along with the cat grin she often has. Her enthusiasm then decreased dramatically, to a more subdued level. Her face also shifting to a calmer, if smug, expression.

"My name is Christina Jameson, more commonly known as _Chiron_ to the people. I'm a 3rd generation European immigrant, my grandparents moved to _Jupiter City_ in the 1920s. A bit on the thin side. I tend to wear clothes that have some sort if pop culture reference to them, and usually appear as I dress in urgent situations."

"Hooo!" light claps erupted from the rest of the unit, somewhat expected as Shiki and Frederica were prone into getting into skits between the two.

"I'm not physically fit for combat, which is why I created robot to fight by my side. Named _Ajax_, it can handle itself well in a scuffle, but its main priority is always to defend me and anyone I deem important, which include my friends." She nodded satisfactorily, both in and out of character.

"_How did you first reveal your genius to your friends or family?_" the producer asked the question from her playbook aloud for the others to hear. "Don't hesitate to ask your own question, girls." He added.

"When I made a clean, sustainable source of energy for our home! That way, my family will no longer struggle for power." Shiki answered with a smirk.

"And they were fine with it?" Mika asked, leaning closer to the brunette.

"My siblings didn't really understand, they were still quite young. But my parents were both worried and relieved." She further explained.

"Why do you call yourself _Chiron?_" Kanade asked.

At this, Shiki smirked. "I am a genius, especially in the field of Astronomy. One of the most significant discoveries is the closest star system to ours. Alpha Centauri. With my genius intellect, I chose it to honor one of Greek Mythology's wisest heroes. The centaur, Chiron."

The producer waited a few seconds in case anyone else had a question amidst the ohs and ahs of the girls, before he continued down the list. "_Why did you decide to use your intellect to the benefit of others?_"

"I've always been kind of selfish, just focusing on my family. But after what I did, I've strived to prepare the world for what's to come." She answered with a disgruntled look on her face.

"And what did you do?" he asked again.

"I discovered something that wasn't meant to be discovered." She replied grimly.

"_What accident or misfire taught you some sense of humility or responsibility?_"

"My _shame_." At this, the rest was drawn in by Shiki's backstory that she had crafted.

"What is it?" Syuko asked, just as curious as the rest.

Shiki then met the gaze each member of LiPPS one by one, before answering. "I found something. While I was looking through my telescope at night, indulging in my hobby of stargazing, I found a peculiar thing. Something that didn't match any recorded findings. I would know. It was a celestial object, about the size of Saturn. I kept focusing on it, ecstatic that I had found something new! And then all I saw was an eye." She visibly swallowed, as if to emphasize her worry. "That was all I saw. An eye… that was peering through me, as if staring directly into my soul. And then I _heard it._ _I will find you_. It said."

"Then what happened?" Frederica asked with audible concern.

"I don't know." Shiki said, shaking her head. "All I remember was screaming at the top of my lungs, until my father found me."

"_Who helped you realize you need other people?_" the producer continued.

"My father. After they found my in the state I was in, and after I explained what I found, he told me to find people who could help me. People who are stronger, smarter than me. And I did." She said with a slow nod.

"_Why do you care about the team?_"

"They do not scoff at me when I tell them of my worries, unlike most of the adult superheroes. They take me seriously me, and wish to help."

"That's right we do!" Frederica proclaimed, hugging her friend tightly.

"That was well put, Shiki." Kanade said, giving a subdued clap for the brunette. "Now I wonder if I can live up to that."

"Yeah, some of us aren't natural like you, Shiki-chan." Syuko said with a hearty chuckle.

"Oh, now I'm excited though!" Mika exclaimed with glee she seldom shows in the unit.

"Fre-chan wants to go next!" Frederica announced, picking up her playbook from the coffee table.

Both the producer and assistant chuckled, he even more so at not having to get a word in after Shiki finished her piece. "Alright, Freddie, go ahead."

"Yay!" she coughed purposefully, preparing herself for her turn. Then, taking cue from her friend, the usual goofy expression on her face morphed into one of melancholy. Such an unusual expression to see on her face, that some of the girls were caught off guard.

She started with a drawn out sigh. "I used to be called Michelle Richards. But now, everyone just calls me _Venus._ I, don't remember how I used to look like. But, I'm still distinctly female. My eyes often startle people when I stare at them for too long. My skin is mostly green but there are colorful patterns, sometimes vines and leaves growing on top of it. Around my neck, and sometimes able to close around my head, are large rose petals. Because of this, I tend to not appear as anything else."

She sighed again, before continuing. "Just like how I look, I can control plants like they were a part of me, and as if I'm part of the earth itself, nothing can get by me. Can surprise me."

The producer waited to see if anyone would ask any questions, but it seemed the girls we're too enraptured. "_Who were you before?_"

"I was just an ordinary high school student."

"_When did you change? What caused it?_" He continued.

"It was during a school field trip, at a research facility. It was attacked by a supervillain."

"Who was the supervillain?" asked the brunette beside her.

Her character broke for a few seconds as she thought of the answer. "He never gave himself a name, but everyone started calling him _The Void_. He looks like a complete blank space in reality."

The producer jotted the information down in his laptop before continuing on. "_Who, outside of your team, is helping you understand your new body?_"

"My teachers." She answered. "They were there when it happened. They've been helping me since."

"What about your parents?" Ask the white haired member of LiPPS.

Frederica shook her head dejectedly. "They didn't want to do anything with me."

The girls gave sorrowful comments in response, and even Ushi seemed to have completely bought into the story. "_Why don't you just hide yourself away?_"

"I've already been exposed. I didn't bother hiding."

"_Why do you care about the team?_"

"They do not see me as a monster." Came her simple reply.

"Fre-chan!" cried out the brunette, crying exaggeratedly through her muffled sobs.

"Really, we shouldn't expect anything less from you two." Kanade commented with a smirk, with the two besides her nodding in agreement.

"I thought you said you wanted to make something cute." Mika said, laughing at the shift. "That didn't sound cute at all"

"She is cute!" Frederica retorted indignantly. "She's a colorful flower!"

"Are they always like this?" the producer glanced to his side as the assistant whispered to him.

"Not all the time." He replied, just as quiet. "Let's go down the line then. Mika, your turn."

"Ah, really?!" the startled gyaru responded at having the spotlight moved to her, before she calmed herself down. She was the most experienced idol in the unit, yet somehow it seemed like she's always out of her depth when she's with them. Then there was a subtle shift in her body language, and her smile seemed to tense up.

"My name is Satoshi Kumiko. But people don't know that. They only know _The Rider_." She paused, seemingly for dramatic effect, before continuing. "My family moved to _Jupiter City_ a few years ago. Without the _Mask_, I wear stylish, trendy clothes! And my brown hair is died platinum blonde, but just the tips, because I'm growing them out. But with the _Mask_, I wear a concealing biker's leather jacket and jeans with heavy boots and gloves, wearing a tinted helmet to cover my head."

"My powers make me stronger, faster, tougher than normal humans. I also posses the ability to absorb energy, allowing to enhance myself, like how I move around. That's why I'm known as _The Rider_."

"_When did you first put on the mask? Why?_"

"After I _'recovered'_ from an incident. I put on the mask after, after I also discovered my powers."

"What happened?" Kanade asked.

Mika shook her head. "No one really knows. All that happened is that my entire neighborhood blew up. There were hardly any survivors, and even in my family only my sister and I survived." She paused, meeting Kanade's eyes. "There are rumors, though. That my neighborhood was a casualty between an altercation between superheroes and supervillains."

"What happened to your sister?" there was concern in Kanade's voice, concern that was shared with the rest since they were reminded if the gyaru's actual sister.

"She's been in the hospital since, but she's doing better." Mika answered with a restrained smile.

"_Why do you keep a secret identity?_"

"Because I do not like the spotlight. I don't want to be connected to _The Rider_."

"Why?" he egged her on.

"I don't know. My own, insecurities, I guess." She replied with a weak shrug.

He waited a few seconds before continuing. "_Who, outside of the team, knows about your dual identity?"_

"No one. Not even my sister. Even on the team, not everyone knows."

"Eh? Why?" Frederica asked, sounding a bit hurt.

"Because I'm trying to distance myself with my hero identity." Mika answered.

"_Who thinks the worst of your masked identity?"_

"People and heroes who think I'm taking advantage of the incident."

"Well they're stupid." Shiki commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Thanks." Mika said with a chuckle.

"Do you know them?"

She shook her head. "No, because I've made a point to ignore them. I've heard that the superhero was there during the incident though.

"_Why do you care about the team?_"

"Yeah, why do you?" Syuko added with interest.

At this, Mika put on a convincing warm smile. "Because they trust me, even though I hold them at arm's length."

"Well aren't we a well of sunshine and daisies." The producer commented with an amused chuckle as Ushi took another picture of the group.

"That's what we planned, right?" replied the pink haired gyaru.

"That we did." He agreed with a nod, as he turned his attention to the girl. Next to her. "Kanade, you're up."

"Oh dear. I guess I am." She responded with a coy giggle.

There wasn't any visible change in her body language, but there was another subtle thing they noticed. "My name is Ariella Silverwood, also known as _Wonderwood_." Her voice was higher pitched, projecting a more youthful character, as if she was imitating Arisu.

"At a glance, I look like any other human. But if someone were to notice me, then they would see the differences. My hair is the deepest of black. My ears are pointy. And people are often left speechless by how beautiful I am." A hint of a smirk formed on Kanade's face. "My eyes especially, give away that I'm not human, with the golden 4-pointed star as my pupils."

"The clothes I wear are just as flashy. But my costume, if it can be called that, seems grab in comparison." She said with an annoyed grimace. "A simple uniform of my people's military."

"I have access to magic from my world, which I sometimes use to fly. And my race is tougher than humans. But I prefer to use the weapons that I was trained in, which is an elegant bow of grand design, and a sword that was handcrafted for me. I also have a mount, a gryphon named _Alistair_, accompanying me."

"_Where do you come from?_"

"The land of _Xenia_. That is my home." She answered neutrally.

"Are you an elf?" Shiki asked with her usual cat smirk.

"That's what you humans call me. But my people are called the _Moorsyah_."

"What language is that?"

"I'm not sure." Kanade replied, returning to her usual voice. "Producer suggested it to me."

"It's based off of Irish." He explained. "_Why did you come to Earth?"_

"I didn't mean to." She replied, shaking her head. "It was an accident that sent me here."

"That sucks." The pink haired girl commented.

"It's fine. It worked out in the end." She said back.

"_Why do you want to stay here?"_

A smile formed on Kanade's face. "This world. The earth. The city. The people. It's so full of intrigue and wonder. The good _and_ the bad. And I want to see more."

"_Why do your people want you to come home?_"

"Do they?" she asked back, tilting her head slightly. "I haven't made contact with them ever since I got here. But if they did, it would be because I'm an important figure in my society."

"Oh, are you a princess?" Frederica asked excitedly.

"No, my people are not a monarchy. But I a member of one of its noble houses."

"_Why do you care about the team?_"

"Because they helped me in my time of need." She answered with a gratifying smile.

"Woo! The team's coming together!" Shiki exclaimed, before her eyes landed on Syuko. "Syuko-chan! Come on!"

"Calm down, Shiki-chan. Kanade-chan just finished." The white haired girl reply as Kanade giggled amusedly. She then glanced to the producer as the new assistant took another picture. He nodded to her, encouraging the idol.

Laughing nervously as the rest of the girls now had their expectant eyes on her, she took the leap before her.

"My name is Honda Yukari. Yukari Baker, if we use my adoptive father's name. On the field, I go by _Heiki_." Syuko went with a more nervous tick as the change in her body language. "As I said before, I'm adopted. I'm Japanese, but my family's local. Since I was a child. I tend to go anywhere wearing my school uniform. I don't bother changing. My costume is derivative of my father's, but not an exact copy."

"Wait, who's your father?" Frederica asked curiously.

"My father, is also my _Mentor_. Henry Baker. He's a politician in _Jupiter City_. But unbeknownst to the mundane, he is the _Silver Age_ hero _Armory_." The Producer's meticulous typing re sounded in the room as Syuko expanded her character's backstory. "_Armory_, doesn't have the best of reputations. He's known for being quite terrifying."

"That's saying something, since _Silver Age_ heroes are usually quite powerful." Shiki added with a knowing nod.

"He's actually retired as a super hero. Which is why he hopes that I can carry on his work." Syuko finished.

As if noticing something was amiss, Mika spoke up. "Wait, what about your powers?"

"Oh right. Haha." Syuko laughed at her own blunder. "My father and I use a variety of weapons and gadgets. But while as _Armory_ he is known for his intimidation tactics, I prefer stealth."

"_How did you first meet your mentor?"_ came the first question from the Producer.

"On the streets of Japan while he was on vacation with his wife." She answered. "I got caught trying to pickpocket them. They adopted me not long after."

"_When and why did you decide to train with them?_"

"Probably around the time my brother was born?" she replied a bit unsurely. "And it was when I found out who he was before."

"Was that an awkward dinner?" Kanade asked with a coy smirk on her face.

"Oh, it was." Syuko agreed with a hearty laugh.

"_Why did they agree to train you._"

"He saw potential in me." She said with a shrug.

"_Who else, outside of the team, knows about your training? _"

"His wife, my adoptive mother." Syuko answered with a smile.

"So your brother doesn't know?" the Producer asked himself.

Syuko shook her head. "No. He's completely oblivious to our family's secret."

"Is your mother cool?" Mika asked.

"She's super cool! Dad might be the super hero, but mom's the one who runs the house!" the girls laughed merrily together.

The Producer sighed tiredly as the assistant took another picture, this time standing up as she was sitting next to Syuko. "Alright, last question. _Why do you care about the team?"_

"They trust me, my training, and my experience." She answered resolutely.

"Alright." The Producer said, dropping the playbook into the table. "You girls should get some snacks, or drinks. This is gonna take a while."

"Oh, that's right!" Frederica almost shouted as she stood up abruptly. Her hands immediately sought out Shiki's and Mika's, dragging the girls along with her.

"Wait, why me?!" Mika protested weakly as she was pulled along by the blonde.

Kanade turned to her left to for Syuko, who sunk into her side of the sofa. "What did you think, Syuko?"

"It was intimidating, Kanade-chan!" Syuko said with a grin. "But it was fun!" she then turned to the Producer. "And you used to do this a lot?"

"Not often." He answered. "It takes a lot of commitment from everyone to get a session going."

"And that's why I'm also here?" Ushi spoke up, spending most of the time taking pictures.

"Partly so. It's going to be fun though."

"Oh, I can tell already, Producer." The assistant responded, as she took another picture of the three still in the room.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

this ended up being way longer than i wanted it to be, but i didn't want to split it up. hell, this already is kinda splitting it up, but at least it works as a halfway point for the "_1st session"_

also, if their names are Japanese, then it's written as "last name" "first name".

Syuko's character, _Heiki_, means _Arsenal_, written as 兵器

i guess that about does it. see you all next time!


	4. Finishing Touches

_**Finishing Touches**_

"Hai hai! We're back!" Announced the brunette as she barged into the room with Frederica just behind her. The pink haired girl was a good few seconds behind the two, closing the door right after with a tired sigh.

"Didn't expect you girls to be gone for half an hour." The Producer commented, eliciting amused giggles coming from Kanade and Syuko.

"I'm sorry, Producer. Things got out of hand." Mika apologized, as the three of them each carried bags that we're filled with a random assortment of foods and drinks.

"Don't worry too much about it Mika." He said, gesturing back to the sofa.

"Eh, where's Ushi-san?" Frederica asked, noticing the room missing one person.

"She's getting some hot water." Kanade answered. "Producer realized you girls probably went to Lawson, and assumed you might get some cup noodles." Her eyes trails down to he bags. "And he was right."

"I've been your Producer for a while now." He told them, eyes glued to the laptop as he finished up some quick paperwork. "I should know what make you girls tick."

"We also got something for you, Producer!" said the blonde to him, holding out a bag that seemed like it was all filled with things they decided for him.

He looked up briefly from his laptop, and smiled as he took the offered bag. "Thanks Freddie."

The blonde smiles brightly, her mouth opened to respond. But the click of the door signal the last arrival.

"I got them, Producer." Said the Assistant, her hands holding two large flasks.

"Wow, Ushi-san, you went all out." Syuko commented with a smirk.

"It's best to be over prepared than under prepared." The pale skinned woman replied, placing the flasks onto the table off to b the side.

"When you girls get comfortable, well get started again." The Producer told the room.

That got them moving, as Shiki made her way towards the thermoses that Ushi had gotten, with Syuko getting up from her spot and joining the brunette in preparing some instant cup noodles. Mika sat back down beside Kanade, offering the cool girl some of the ice cream she had bought, to which Kanade gladly accepted. Frederica sat herself back down, drinking a boxed green tea. Ushi kept to her assigned role, going back to taking pictures for the report the Producer would write up later.

A few minutes was nothing compared to the half hour that had transpired. "We're ready, Producer!" Shiki announced when they all had in fact gotten comfortable, as he had suggested.

"Good." He said, shifting his laptop aside as he took the chosen playbooks from the table. He looked over them one by one. Then he looked up, catching the eye of Kanade, who was almost startled by the attention.

"_Wonderwood_. Please answer your question."

"My question?" she retrieved her own playbook, reading through it once more. "Which question?"

The Producer nodded to himself, pleased that Kanade responded to her hero's name. "_How your team came together_."

The high school girl read through the question, and frowned. "This seems like a heavy question, Producer. Shouldn't the others also be asked?"

"They have their own questions to answer, Kanade. You can ask them for advise, or input, but it is you who answers the question."

Her brows furrowed as she looked over the question once more. "_When our team first came together… We didn't trust each other at first, but that changed. How? Why?_"

Kanade, along with the rest of LiPPS, took a moment to think of their answers. "We didn't trust each other at first because they thought I was together with whatever we fought. And it changed, when I proved to them that I was not."

"And she did that by dealing a mortal blow to the creature we fought." Mika added enthusiastically.

"Ohh, so we fought some kind of creature?" asked the blonde to the girl next to her.

The pink haired gyaru nodded. "Yeah. I think that's a good place to start for all of us."

"How did you deal the mortal blow, exactly?" Syuko asked.

"By shooting its heel with my bow."

The single brunette chuckled. "Did we fight Achilles or something?"

Kanade shook her head. "No, but I think that's what we, and eventually other people, called it."

"So the five of you individually ended up fighting a creature dubbed _Achilles_. You all thought that Wonder wood was involved with it when she appeared, but grew to trust her when she dealt a mortal blow to _Achilles_ by striking its heel with an arrow." The Producer summarized, typing it all in his laptop while Ushi herself looked over his document.

"That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be." Kanade said with audible relief.

"That's because we're all so in sync!" Shiki proclaimed proudly.

"Who knew LiPPS was so dependable." The Producer deadpanned, earning laughter from the rest of the room. "_Venus_, your turn."

"Ok, ok!" she coughed purposefully before taking her playbook. "_When our team first came together… We drew attention and ire from plenty during the fight. One important person in particular now hates and fears us. Who is it?_"

"Oh, that's also very loaded." Shiki commented with her usual cat grin.

"Yeah, we barely started and things are already rough for us." Mika agreed with an exaggerated sigh.

"It fits very much with what we agreed _Jupiter City_ to be like." Added Kanade. "Our image doesn't exactly fit in."

"I think the people that hate us, are a group of researchers and explorers that wanted to study _Achilles_." Frederica said, cutting through the conversation. "And the important person is the leader of this group, who has an important position in the city's council."

"Oh, that sounds juicy. I like it." The white haired girl said with approval. "What are they called?"

"_Philosophers of Socrates._" Shiki answered with a smug grin.

"Wow, we're really going in with the Greek." The gyaru commented amusedly.

"We got a theme, and were sticking with it." The other high schooler said with a chuckle. Her eyes widened as if she had realized something. "I'm sorry, Producer. We've been talking amongst ourselves, leaving you out." She said apologetically.

The sole male shook his head, chuckling himself. "It's fine. In fact, it's great that you girls are really into this."

The chuckles spread to the rest of them before the conversation resumed. "What if the person in charge was also a hero?"

"Then that makes the person super important!" the blonde agreed. "Some _Silver Age_ hero named _Grand Seer_, who had retired and is now leading this group."

"Okay, in stopping _Achilles_, you girls earned the ire of a somewhat enigmatic group known as the _Philosophers of Socrates_. A group that is also lead by _Grand Seer_, because they wanted to study it." He repeated. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes." Frederica spoke up again. "I don't know about the others, but I have a feeling that they're connected to_ Achilles_ in some way."

"Like they're responsible?" She nodded. "Alright, _Venus _is also suspicious of them, that they might be more involved than expected." He finished the summary in his laptop with the Assistant Ushi peering over his shoulder. "_Chiron_, your turn."

The playbook was already in her hands, as she read it out without missing a beat. "_When our team first came together… I created something lasting and beneficial for the whole team. What was it?_"

"Oh, that's tricky." She immediately commented. "On the spot, for something long lasting? Hmm."

"What would you make that would help us?" Kanade reiterated, with the rest of them also seemingly having trouble at the innocuous question.

"What do you think, Producer?" Shiki asked, as they all turned to the waiting man.

"Do you want it to be focused on _Achilles_ or the team?"

"The team, definitely." She answered with conviction.

"Then let's say one of you was also heavily injured, and you created something that would keep them alive."

"Oh, that sounds awesome!" the brunette said excitedly. "Who would it be though?"

"I would make the most sense." Syuko volunteered. "I'm the second most normal person in the team behind you after all."

"Yes, I like that! And it stabilized your body from injuries, but…" Her excitement tapered off. "How would it translate into the game? "

"We can flavor it as putting your bodies in some form of safe cocoon when you have all your _conditions_ marked. Essentially a different form of passing out."

"Wow, Producer! You're so good at this!"

"It's not my first RPG session." He answered with a shrug.

"Just after Kanade said that we left Producer out, he pretty much answered Shiki's question for us." Mika commented, barely containing her laugh.

"Then I'll summarize it this time." Shiki coughed into her closed fist before continuing. "In the midst of our battle with _Achilles_, _Heiki_ took a heavy blow that was aimed at me. I immediately went to create something to stabilize her injuries, and the first prototype of the _Casket_ put her body in some kind of stasis. After that incident, and when we officially teamed up, I've been reiterating on it and improving its design. Eventually I created something like a pendant for all of us, that activates whenever we are in a critical state."

"Excellent. Nice additions by the way." He complimented as he typed them out in his laptop. "_Rider_. If you would, please."

"Alright, alright. I guess it's my turn." Mika turned to face Syuko. "Looks like you're last again, Syuko-chan."

The Kyoto born girl rolled her eyes. "I guess I'll have to close it for you girls."

A hearty laugh was shared among the group before Mika read her question. "_When our team first came together… we saved the life of someone important, either to the city or to us. Who was it? Why are they important?_"

"That's like, the easiest question we've got." Frederica said with a light giggle.

"So if its an easy question, then it should be an easy answer, right?" Syuko asked to the group.

"You mean like a daughter of someone important?" Kanade asked back with a raised brow.

"Probably like the Prime Minister's daughter, or something to that effect." Ushi suggested in between the flash of a camera.

"That does sound like the more obvious answer." The bluenette agreed.

"Obvious is good." Mika added with a nod. "I think we should stick with _simple_. We don't need convoluted and complicated things, especially since we're all new to this."

"That makes sense." Kanade relented with her own subdued nod.

"So who is this person's parent? Who is the Prime Minister of _Jupiter City_?" Syuko asked.

"A retired _Golden Age_ hero, _The Golden Sparrow_. A symbol of hope, and one of _Jupiter City's_ first heroes. Now, he is Prime Minister Kristoff Wagner." Shiki detailed with an excited smile on her face.

"Did you have that prepared?" Syuko asked amusedly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" she replied cheekily. Then both she and Frederica exchanged a knowing glance, giggling between the two of them.

"With a name like that, and being a hero from the _Golden Age_, I think _The Golden Sparrow_ would also count himself as one of these people that doesn't have a cynical view of _Jupiter City_." Kanade offered her two cents.

"And if he's that old, then his daughter is probably a working adult." Mika further reinforced. "Caroline Wagner. She's not a hero like her father, not even a politician. But she's a famous actress as well as a prolific philanthropist."

"Yes, yes. And you save her by shoving the car she was in out of _Achilles'_ rampage." Frederica added. "You're the fastest among us, so you were the one who saved her." She explained before any of the girls could question her.

"Alright then. Anything else to add." The Producer got shaking heads in response. "In the midst of your battle against _Achilles_, it's rampage almost caused a casualty that would have been debilitating to the city's morale. You all noticed this, and _The Rider_ was the one who acted. She reached the car before _Achilles_ could, and shoved it out of the way. In return, you received the gratitude of not only her, but also her father, the current Prime Minister of _Jupiter City_, Kristoff Wagner. The former _Golden Age_ hero _The Golden Sparrow_."

"Our story is really coming together! This is so cool!" an excited brunette exclaimed, almost vibrating in her seat.

"And were almost done with it." Syuko agreed, anticipating her turn as she glanced to the Producer.

"Not just yet though. There are a few things left after were done with you. _Heiki_, if you would."

Her playbook had been in her hand since Canada's turn. "_When our team first came together… we stuck together after all was said an done. Why? How'd we keep in contact?"_ there was a knowing smirk on her face as she read her question out.

"Looks like you already have an answer." The Producer commented.

"Being last has its upsides." She replied with a smile, before she turned to face the rest of LiPPS. "We stuck together because we all realized that we worked well together. Me personally though, I wanted to have friends my age that were also heroes. So, using my dad's resources, I searched for ways to contact them. Some of them were harder than others," she gave a knowing look to Mika, who stuck out her tongue back at her. "but eventually I established a connection between all of us, helped by _Chiron_. Then, subtly funded by him, our team was born."

The girls applauded her answer, being the most complete of them all. Even Ushi joined in the clapping as the Producer jotted down Syuko's answer.

"Alright. Time to establish relationships. Hope you girls read through them while we went through your team's history." He looked up from his laptop to meet their eyes. "One relationship at a time. Starting from, you guessed it, _Chiron_." The girls laughed at his deadpan humor.

"I told _Wonderwood_ about my shame and asked for their confidence." Shiki responded. "I figured, she might have some sort if experience back from her world."

"I have some legends and folklore that I shared, in hopes to ease her burdens." Kanade added. The Producer smiled. The girls we're getting better at this.

"Let's go down the line like before. _Venus_."

"_Heiki_ comforted me when I was at my lowest." Frederica took her turn as ordered. "When people's voices we're at their most venomous."

"And I told her that their words don't matter. What does is what we do, and prove to them that we are true heroes." Syuko elaborated her part on it.

There was a few seconds pause before Mika took her turn. "_Venus_ knew from my civilian life first. It was a combination of my negligence, and forgetfulness that allowed _Venus_ to see who I was beneath the helmet." There was a knowing _ohh_ coming from Frederica before she snickered to herself.

Another pause between the girls, before Kanade took the metaphorical spotlight. "I've been learning about this world by spending time with _Chiron_. She is the smartest of us, so I was certain that she had the means for me to learn."

"Of course I did. I offered her my vast encyclopedia of knowledge. Helped her along with any questions she might have." the brunette said smugly.

Syuko gave a quick glance to see the Producer typing in his laptop. When it looked like he was done, she entered the fray. "_Chiron_ and I teamed up a few times before the rest of us came together. It was easy, and obvious. Her resources, and my father's resources, made our earlier jobs easier."

"It sure damn did." Shiki said with fists in her hips. Then her eyes flashed briefly in realization. "Oh, it's my turn again." She coughed into her fist before proceeding. "I wish I could be a better hero, like _Rider_."

Mika shook her head in astonishment. "Me? Really?"

"Yep. I think, out of all is us, you're the most traditional hero. And I like that."

They all laughed at the simplicity of the reason, before Frederica spoke up. "_Rider _knew me before I changed. We went to the same school, before she dropped out and I turned to this. So, there's some connection between us, Titanic kind of cling to, even though she tries to stay by herself."

"Aw, why'd you have to guilt me like that Fre-chan!" the blonde stuck out her tongue in retaliation. They shared a laugh before Mika got in with her turn. "I refused to tell _Heiki_ my secret identity when she asked."

"Yeah, because it was getting frustrating that there was so little about you." Syuko answered with a frown, l before it shifted into a smirk.

"I have a crush in _Venus_ that I keep under wraps." Kanade spoke up in between the exchange.

"Eh? Really? With me?" Frederica replied in disbelief.

Kanade nodded, those that she kept her expression straight. "You did say that you were a cute monster, after all"

"Hehe he, I did." She giggled, getting a smile from Kanade's face.

"Woo, we're almost done!" Syuko exclaimed before she leaned in closer with her elbows in her knees. "My mentor is cautious, he asked me to keep an eye on _Wonderwood_."

Kanade nodded in understanding as the all turned to the Producer, waiting for him to finish up in his laptop.

A prideful smile formed on his face as he slowly looked up. "You girls give out your influences with one another. This isn't a long process, like the others. And then," he slowly breathed in through his nose, exhaling it slowly before smirking at the five of them and Ushi waiting patiently with the camera in her hand. "we can finally get started."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

my PC shit the bed, and i've lost a bit of my research and notes i've made for these. not about the girls' characters, and the books for Masks, i have them. but, the villain for the next chapter, is gone. i have to come up with their shit again, and it might be a while until we see another chapter.

the previous chapter didn't actually take that long (despite being the longest so far) i wanted to have this chapter be completed before i officially published it, but this chapter was taking quite a while, holding the last chapter back despite being done at least a couple of weeks ago.

the Masks RPG system is a lot of conversing. not much dice rolling, but it is about talking, even more so than vanilla D&D (5e, at least). which is why, the Producer has been nudging the girls to be creative on their own.

i think that's all, hope ya'll enjoyed it and i'll see you all next time!


End file.
